Towns

Island Neighborhoods

At the westernmost tip of the Island, State Road comes to a dramatic, looped end, hemmed in by the Gay Head Light and colorful clay cliffs that rise up from the ocean. This is Wampanoag territory, evidenced by the tribe-owned small shops and restaurants. The Wampanoag Cultural Center lies across a grassy knoll; beyond that is Moshup Beach, named for the sachem giant central to Wampanoag lore. Few...

Modest homes line Lighthouse Road, which meanders from the Gay Head Light to Lobsterville Beach. Here, red stones are washed by gentle surf and sunbathers jockey for position with fishermen. The sunsets are every bit as fantastic as in Menemsha, but enjoyed by far fewer crowds than those that vie for viewing spots on the other side of the harbor.North Shore Aquinnah in the NewsWhy I Love Where I...

Arguably the Island's most beautiful road, Moshup Trail stretches from the near-tip of the Island to the border of Squibnocket Pond, with expansive views of the ocean, dunes and sandy shores. Philbin Beach, open to Aquinnah residents only, lies along this still serene, stretch of road which has been well-guarded against overdevelopment.South Shore in the NewsTribe Moves to Convert Community...

One of the most scenic roads on the Island, with stone walls and stunning views across farmland to the distant Atlantic Ocean, Middle Road is favored by fine art photographers and Sunday drivers, and is carefully protected by the town. Buses and large commercial vehicles are prohibited. The Yard, a summer dance colony, is situated off Middle Road near Beetlebung Corner, the Chilmark town center.

The small fishing village of Menemsha is part of Chilmark, but also a world unto itself. While the rest of the town plies the land, here multi-generation fleets are devoted to what lies just beyond the shore. Those not employed on the high seas seek their own catches of sorts from the fish markets, restaurants and small shops. During the busy summer months crowds flock to the public beach for the...

Beech and oak forest, clay soils, rushing brooks and blue ocean sky are the signatures of the landscape along Chilmark’s north shore, historically the site of waterfront commerce where paint and bricks were made using the native clay. It’s rural, scenic and sparsely developed. Seven Gates Farm, Spring Point, Old Farm Road and Tea Lane are all residential areas off North Road. North Shore in...

Quansoo, Abel’s Hill, Chilmark Pond, Nashaquitsa Pond and Stonewall Beach are all included in this Atlantic-facing section of Chilmark where ancient stone walls frame the roads and wide, grassy moors and farm fields run to the sea. Beaches are mostly private; Lucy Vincent and Squibnocket are public but reserved for town residents in the summer.South Shore Chilmark in the NewsErosion on Chilmark...

This area south of the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road includes a large maze of residential subdivisions built about 30 years ago on former farmland, including Dodgers Hole and Smith Hollow. Many are interconnected and the area of residential homes stretches all the way to the Edgartown-West Tisbury Road on the south. Bike paths provide easy, car-free access into town.

The name derives from an old Native American word meaning “separated island,” and it is indeed a separate place. Chappy, as the place is called, is located off the extreme eastern end of Edgartown and accessed by a three-car ferry that plies a narrow channel. There are about 100 year- round residents and many more seasonal homeowners. The island has an active community center and more than 800...

White clapboard houses once owned by whaling captains and rose-covered picket fences are the signatures of the Edgartown Village historic district, which has an eclectic array of architectural styles. Main Street runs down to the harbor and North Water Street runs out to the scenic Edgartown Light, surrounded by a public walking path and beach. The village is mostly seasonal save a handful of...

Windswept grasslands mark the topography at Katama, a sandy area of seasonal and year-round homes bounded by Katama Bay on the east and the Atlantic-facing South Beach, a popular public beach in the summer, at the extreme southern end. A long bike path runs from down- town Edgartown through Katama. Open farmland dominates the center of the landscape. Katama in the NewsKatama Has Within It All...

Ocean Heights, The Boulevard and Major’s Cove are densely-built areas of modest homes on streets that run from Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road down to Sengekontacket Pond, a vast saltwater pond that spans the towns of Edgartown and Oak Bluffs and borders Nantucket Sound on the north. On the Edgartown end, Sengekontacket Pond was his- torically named Anthier’s Pond. Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary is...

The rural coastal perimeter of town includes Edgartown Great Pond, Oyster Pond, Wintucket and parts of the state forest. Three-acre minimum zoning and conservation land have kept the area more sparsely populated than other parts of town, and there are vast tracts covered with blueberry and huckleberry bushes. Turkeyland Cove, a public landing at Edgartown Great Pond, is enjoyed by kayakers and...

Originally named Cottage City, the symbol of Oak Bluffs is a hidden area just steps from Circuit Avenue marked by circles of closely-built, brightly-colored gingerbread cottages. The cottages, built in the late 1800s and early 1900s, replaced tents used during religious revivals popularly held in that era. Today owned and managed by the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association, the Camp Ground...

A beautiful high headland overlooking Vineyard Sound, East Chop once hosted a telegraph tower to relay news of arriving ships to the mainland, and still hosts a lighthouse along with handsome, sprawling summer homes built in the shingle or Queen Anne style and facing out to sea. Small streets run from the chop back to the Highlands, an area of small parks and modest homes. East Chop in the...

This tiny Island neighborhood is named for the Hart family whose members settled here in the 1800s. The area features a small harbor and abuts the Farm Neck Golf Club. Not gated but distinct, Harthaven is at once funky and exclusive. Harthaven in the NewsHarthaven Centennial Honors FoundersBigger Culvert, Big Grant Will Ease Farm Pond's Ills

A large area of residential subdivisions encompass the Lagoon Heights neighborhood in Oak Bluffs and its surrounding streets, including the busy Barnes and County Roads. This area was once primarily farmland and was developed between the 1970s and 1990s. Homes built along the Lagoon Pond enjoy peaceful, open views. Lagoon/County Road in the NewsRoundabout Debate Reminds Us that Resources are...

An emerald necklace of parks graces the central downtown area of Oak Bluffs just off Circuit Avenue. Waban, Nashawena Park and the grand Ocean Park are among the many parks in the downtown area. All are ringed by houses, most built in the cottage style so popular in this town known for its honky tonk atmosphere. The park designs were created by Robert Morris Copeland, a landscape architect...

Major’s Cove, Farm Neck and a small number of relatively-new housing developents line Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road and Sengekontacket Pond, the latter a vast saltwater pond that spans the towns of Edgartown and Oak Bluffs and borders Nantucket Sound on the north. Houses in the area are a mix of grand modern homes and old fishing camps. Farm Neck Golf Club is a hallmark of the area. ...

Once open farmland, this area of Vineyard Haven was converted to low-key residential subdivisions more than 30 years ago. Small utilities, such as the old telephone company building and a local trucking company, bump shoulders with a working farm that sells fresh vegetables at a roadside stand. Homes are mostly modest in both size and price by Island standards. Central Vineyard Haven in the...

The Island's only year-round ferry port and only truly year-round town, Vineyard Haven never closed up shop in the winter months the way other towns do. Correspondingly, many people also live in the downtown area all year long. Tiny streets radiate from Main and Franklin, built with a mix of Federal, Greek revival and Cape Cod style houses. The William Street historic district runs just off Main...

A large saltwater pond that also spans the town of Oak Bluffs, the Vineyard Haven side of Lagoon Pond is flanked by a commercial/industrial district along the Vineyard Haven harbor. On the landward side lies a large and varied residential area that includes Hines Point, an old collection of summer and year-round homes fronting the pond, and Skiff Avenue, a pleasant Vineyard Haven neighborhood of...

Situated in the hilly eastern region of the Vineyard and spanning Vineyard Haven and West Tisbury, Lambert’s Cove has a strikingly different topography from much of the rest of the Island. Here, beech and oak forest dominate a rolling, scenic landscape threaded with freshwater streams. Lower Makonikey, Pilot Hill Farm, Tashmoo Farm and the Vine- yard Open Land Foundation cranberry bogs are among...

Lake Tashmoo is a hidden gem in the densely-built town of Vineyard Haven. The tranquil saltwater lake is fed by freshwater springs at its head and opens to the sea. Tashmoo is synonymous with pine woods and quiet residential neighborhoods of every description, from old camps and modest homes to large summer homes with grassy yards that run down to the water. There are a handful of public town...

A tiny summer community that dates to the late 19th century, West Chop is primarily an area of large homes facing the sea on one side, and is bordered by the downtown historic district. Mink Meadows Golf Club, the Island’s only fully public course, is located here, as is a historic lighthouse and U.S. Coast Guard station. West Chop Woods, a public conservation property, is enjoyed by walkers.

West Tisbury was originally part of Tisbury, but became its own town in 1892 when disgruntled farmers petitioned for the separation. Still a farm-oriented town, the town center includes Alley’s General Store, the Grange Hall, a historic town hall, a Congregational church and a summer farmers’ market. The village is the gateway to the remote rural up-Island towns of Chilmark and Aquinnah. Music...

The West Tisbury end of Lambert’s Cove continues the theme from Vineyard Haven, becoming more rural and dotted with old farms and farm- houses. Seth’s Pond, a large freshwater glacial pond, is situated at the upper end, along with Duarte’s Pond, owned by the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank. Lambert’s Cove Beach, open only to town residents during daytime hours in the summer months, overlooks the...

The bucolic north shore is marked by swaths of farmland and wooded, winding dirt roads with multiple-acre lots. The unspoiled Cedar Tree Neck Nature Preserve offers woodland paths, a freshwater pond, brooks and a beach that is open for exploration but closed to swimming. The Christiantown section, off State Road, includes the Memorial to the Praying Indians and a small chapel where services were...

The commercial center of West Tisbury, North Tisbury includes up-Island’s only grocery store, as well as a bank, post office, restaurant and small shops intermixed with dirt roads and parcels of farmland where horses roam. The Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School and the town’s new fire department and emergency services facility are also lo- cated here. Homes are set back from the commercial...

Running straight through the sandy flatlands of scrub oak and the state forest, this is West Tisbury’s main middle class neighborhood, full of children, dogs, carpenters and fishermen, many of whom built their own homes in the 1980s when the town was a magnet for young families. The subdivisions back up to the state forest with its many miles of bike paths and hiking trails bordered by low bush...

Tisbury Great Pond, Sepiessa Point and a vast area of sandplain forest stretching from the airport road south to the Atlantic Ocean comprise the south shore of West Tisbury, where small horse farms, summer and year-round homes mingle with upscale subdivisions like Deep Bottom, developed about 20 years ago. South Shore in the NewsRecord Price Sought for West Tisbury Property